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Rarely can a show pinpoint a single episode that so perfectly captures both its evolution and essence, and which will tell future generations of its greatness. Parks and Recreation’s Season 3 finale, Li’l Sabastian, does just that. Within its 22 or so minutes, the episode exposes the heart and humour that makes Parks and Rec one of the most poignant, funny shows on television. And, after all that great television, it even offers catharsis with Andy’s loving musical tribute, 5000 Candles in the Wind.

Darkest timeline (Community)

At the time of its initial airing, Remedial Chaos Theory was hailed by many as a return to form for a spectacular show that had tried to pander to a mainstream audience for a few episodes, only to come to grips with its fate as a niche spectacular. The episode explores the alternative timelines in a butterfly-effect scenario of a roll of a six-sided die. While some timelines are whimsical and smart, Community saved the best for last. Set to the ear-worm-inducing sounds of The Police’s Roxanne, in the darkest timeline, the gang ends up as a group of drunk, occasionally limbless, sad sacks who resign themselves to the idea of being evil. By the end of the season, the show was in the midst of its own darkest timeline.

Nucky shoots Jimmy (Boardwalk Empire)

After two seasons of intricate, complicated plot lines that took their time — enticing some and boring others — Boardwalk Empire finally ballsed up and made its big move in the final episode of Season 2. After betraying Nucky Thompson, Jimmy Darmody — his surrogate son and former partner — arranges a meeting to make amends. Instead, Jimmy ends up with two holes in his head, courtesy of his former mentor. It’s a shocking moment for fans and an exciting development for the, until now, hands-off Thompson. With elegance and subtle grace, Boardwalk Empire suddenly went from a fun, intriguing period piece to an epic showcase of one man’s struggle for power, conflicting with everything he holds dear.

Michael leaves The Office (The Office)

As George Harrison once sang, all things must pass. After seven seasons, we were forced to say goodbye to a dear friend. Michael Scott was never the type to go quietly into the night, and yet, as he walked away from the cameras, he did just that. The handling of the moment, from Scott’s taking off his microphone, down to his request to let him know if the documentary ever airs, was indicative both of his evolution as a character and of the show itself, no longer in need of grandiose moments of absurdist comedy. It was well-handled farewell to our favourite TV boss.

Louie redefines TV comedy

The most shocking thing about comedian Louis C.K.’s FX show is that it’s not a comedy. It has standup and it’s undoubtedly funny, but instead of mining life’s little quirks for laughs (like his buddy Jerry), C.K. chose to blow them up, warts and all. In that sense, Louie is just as much a show about nothing as Seinfeld was, but it’s also so much more. It’s a study of human nature, a frank discussion between a man in crisis and an audience who takes comfort in his point of view. By being uncompromising in his vision of what constitutes engaging entertainment, Louie may have just done to comedy television what HBO did to drama.

Marshall loses his father (How I Met Your Mother)

By the sixth season, no one really cares anymore how Ted meets his future baby momma; instead we’ve grown to love the characters who exist around him. We laugh at their follies, shake our heads at their indiscretions, and empathize when they’re sad. Never was this more evident than in the episode in which Marshall’s father dies. Every sitcom needs a transcendent moment when a character becomes more than just a conduit for amusement, and in Bad News, Marshall becomes our friend in need; the episode’s sad ending is nearly too much to bear.

Ned Stark gets decapitated (Game of Thrones)

Game of Thrones spent much of its first season establishing itself as a medieval fantasy world, in which the Starks do their best to contend with the amoral times. Confronted with the sinful desires of the day (incest, blood sport, rape), and a supernatural touch (dragons), the viewer is led to believe that the honourable patriarch, Ned Stark, will be their moral compass, guiding them through the seven kingdoms. But with one fell swipe of the sword, Ned’s head is gone, and so are any of our preconceived notions.

The Dream of the ‘90s Is alive in Portland (Portlandia)

To avoid blending in with the slew of failed variety sketch shows before them, SNL’s Fred Armisen and former Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein had to establish the tone of their new IFC show early. The Dream of the ‘90s Is Alive in Portland not only perfectly sets up the premise and location for the duo’s Portlandia, it’s also damn funny. The subculture-skewering anthem quickly had hipsters shaking in their custom Chucks.

Palestinian Chicken (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

The highlight of a glorious return-to-form year for Curb Your Enthusiasm, the Palestinian Chicken episode manages to capture the hyperbolic social tension that exists between American-Palestinians and American-Jews, with just the right amount of absurdist disregard that is the trademark of Larry David’s TV alter-ego. Plus, it features the most awkward minute of television this year, in the form of David’s Palestinian conquest. (“I’m going to f— the Jew out of you,” anyone?)

Gus’s death (Breaking Bad)

The fourth season of the gritty AMC drama became a deadly chess match between teacher turned meth cook Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Gus’s inevitable demise not only delivered one of the most gruesome death scenes ever (his adjusting of his tie as his face melted off was the perfect touch), it also completed Walt’s transformation into a ruthless baddie. As he told his wife when she expressed concerned for his safety, “You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger; I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that’ll be me? No. I am the one who knocks.”

THE WORST: From Charlie’s Angels to The Playboy Club

This was a banner year for bad television. There was the Charlie Sheen fiasco, the fallout from the Charlie Sheen fiasco, and let’s not forget the disasters that were The Playboy Club and Charlie’s Angels. Let’s relive the year’s worst television moments, for the last time.

Charlie Harper’s funeral (Two and a Half Men)

The one good thing that came from the whole Charlie Sheen debacle is that no one will ever mess with Chuck Lorre again. When Lorre kills off a character he dislikes, he doesn’t pull any punches. Speaking at Charlie’s (the character) funeral, his new wife described his death in the following manner: “His body just exploded like a balloon full of meat.” After Sheen’s public meltdown, Lorre’s reaction was unnecessary and extreme. The spectacle made for great ratings, but it was television at its worst.

Allen Gregory

Why Jonah Hill? You had such a good run, then you voice this clunker. Unfunny, badly animated and horribly written, Allen Gregory was rightly shown the door by FOX.

Glee

Oh, how the Gleeful have fallen. After the concert film failed to haul in the big bucks, Glee began a popularity downfall. The show’s decline is likely a result of the generic, bland plot lines that have been growing more and more tiresome.

How to Be a Gentleman

Not even a talented cast could save this clunker. How to Be a Gentleman didn’t have a bad premise, but its execution was cautious and bland. There’s a reason it was pretty much DOA.

Charlie Sheen implodes

We have to admit, it was kind of amusing at first. A popular star goes on a drugs and porn binge that lives up to all the worst stereotypes of diva behaviour and, as a result, becomes even more popular. But somewhere around the third round of TV interviews, Sheen went from amusing to annoying pest. The tour, Twitter account and incessant references to “tiger blood” and “winning” only served to exacerbate the issue.

Whitney

Whitney Cummings is funny, so one would assume her show, Whitney, would also be funny. Not so. But that didn’t stop millions from tuning in to watch Cumming’s half-baked jokes and unbearably bad acting.

Charlie’s Angels

Good riddance to bland trash. Honestly, it’s been less than six months and we can’t remember what happened in the revamped Charlie’s Angels pilot. Was Drew Barrymore even in this one? Anyone?

The Playboy Club fizzles

Poor Playboy Club. The show talked such a big game that, by the time it finally got around to airing, it couldn’t get its ratings up. Naturally, the public outcry at even the idea of the show didn’t help, as advertisers started pulling out due to the perceived offensive content. Also taken down by osmosis: Amber Heard’s career.

A bland flight for Pan Am

Pan Am appeared to be the show to beat coming out of the gate this year. Unfortunately, despite an interesting premise, which could have made for interesting and subversive network television, the writers put the plots on autopilot and delivered middle-of-the-road drivel that simplified important themes to the point of mockery.

H8R (pronounced Hater)

The CW reality show hosted by Mario Lopez featured “celebrities” confronting regular people who hated them. We hope many, many people were fired over this.

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